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AUTOMATTIC BUYS POCKET CASTS

After buying microblogging platform Tumbler a couple of years ago, the owner of WordPress – the software that powers a huge number of the websites we visit every day – has splashed out again, this time on a podcasting service.

Automattic revealed this week that it has snapped up Pocket Casts, a service that allows users to download and listen to podcasts via mobile apps.

Although nothing will change in the short-term, Automattic says it “will explore building deep integrations with WordPress.com and Pocket Casts, making it easier to distribute and listen to podcasts”.

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR NEW SOUNDMOJIS

As if there weren’t enough ways to communicate with friends and family on your mobile phone, Facebook has come up with yet another.

It’s calling them Soundmojis, and you can access them now within the Messenger app.

They’re basically short audio clips you can quickly send to react to a message sent to you. So, instead of sending the clapping emoji, you can send a short sound clip of actual applause. Facebook says it’ll update the clips with new ones regularly.

YOUTUBE’S SHORT GAME

By now we’re all used to seeing streams of short-form vertical video on whatever social channels we’re likely to use.

As far as I can tell, only Twitter has resisted copying TikTok’s prime feature.

Now YouTube is rolling out its own version of TikToks across the globe.

It added the feature to its app in the UK last month, and the test has been successful enough to see it find its way onto phones everywhere.

YouTube shorts can be accessed via the home screen, and there will be a stream of videos ready when you are, tailored just for you.